Improvement in car-couplings



C. H. GEARHART.

Car-Couplings.

NO. 137,067, Patente'd March 25,1873.

AM PHOTOi/THOGRAPHIOLO. MK (monnsmacm) PATENT QFFIGE.

CHARLES H. GEARHART, OF FARMER CITY, ILLINOIS.

IMFROVEMENT lN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1333067, dated Marth 25, 187 3.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GEAR- HART, of Farmer City, in the county of DeWitt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Ooupling; of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of two railway cars provided with my improved coupling; .Fig. 2, a front view of one of said cars; Fig. 3, a top view of one part of the bumper, showing the coupling-hook therein; Fig. 4, a vertical section through the bumper and hook in the plane of the line as 00 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 5 the coupling-bar.

The object of my invention is to provide a se1f-coupler for railway cars, which may be uncoupled either from the side or top of the car; and to that end it consists in certain novel features hereafter particularly described and set forth.

I11 the drawing, A represents a railwaycar, and B the bumper, made in two pieces, I) and b, bolted firmly together; the pieces b and b, or either of them, are cutaway, so that when they are arranged together a channel will be formed for the reception of the couplingbar, and so that the coupling-hook will be inclosed therein; the outer ends of the pieces I) and b are also beveled off from their outer edges inward, as shown at 0, so as .to guide the coupling-bar into its channel; the bumper thus made is also perforated so that the ordinary coupling-pin and link may be used in connection with it. c is also a slot or perforation in the bumper for the purpose hereafter mentioned. 0 is the couplinghook, pivoted to the bumper, and arranged therein so that the natural position of its hooked end will be in the channel which the coupling bar enters, as shown at c". The outer end of the hook (J is also beveled off in the manner shown. D is a spring pressing the inner end of the hook G, and yielding as the couplingbar strikes the beveled end of the hook, and then throwing the hook into engagement with the bar, as will hereafter more fully appear.

E is the coupling bar or pin, which may be either straight, or bent in the manner shown, so as to admit of cars which vary in height being more readily coupled. This bar is slotted in the side, near each end, so as to engage the coupling-hook, and its ends are beveled off, in the manner shown, so that it will ride more readily over the beveled faces of the bumper. F is a frame rigidly attached to the car, and F is a cross-beam capable of moving freely up and down on the vertical pieces FF. ff are springs supporting the beam F, andf f are rubber blocks arranged upon the lower horizontal bar of the frame F to form a cushion for the beam F as it reaches, or nearly reaches, its downward limit. The forward end of the bumper rests on the beam F, and rises and. falls with it. G is a long lever pivoted to the lower part of the end of the is a chain attached to the end of the long arm. The chain g passes freely through the slot 0, and is attached to the hooked end of the hook G, and the chain 9 is attached to an ordinary winding-post provided with a ratchet and stop, as shown at i.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that I construct the bumper so as to inclose the coupling-hook and admit of its action therein; that the mouth of the bumper andthe ends of the coupling-bar are constructed so that the latter will be guided to the coupling-hook and engage it, though the height of the cars may vary, and though their rocking motion may be considerable, it being understood that the channel 0 is sufficiently large to admit of some vertical and lateral play of the bar, without rendering it liable to become accidentally disengaged; that the coupling-bar is rendered still more certain of meeting and engaging the coupling-hook, for the reason that the outer end of the bumper adjusts itself to the bar, on account of the contact of the beveled surfaces. It will also be observed that the hook and bar are constructed and arranged to engage each other laterally. A lever of the first class is thus employed in connection with the windingg is a chain attached to.

post for the purpose of exerting suffioient force The combination of the draw-bar B, supto draw the hook from the bar when the cars ported by yielding-bar F, and having hook stop onan lip-grade, or when, from any other O of the lever G, chains 9 g, and shaft G, reason, there is a severe strain upon the hook all. substantially as and for the purposes set and bar. The bumper may be provided with forth.

the usual draw-head or bumper-spring. CHARLES H. GEARHART.

Having thus described my invention, What I Witnesses: claim as new and desire to secure by Letters B. A. LEMON,

Patent, is- J OHN BLAN'DIN. 

